目 录 上一节 下一节 
这就对了，"那监工带着胜利者的口吻说，"再偷懒，我今天晚上可要给你好颜色看！" "That I do now!" Tom heard her say; and again he heard her say, "O, Lord, how long! O, Lord, why don't you help us?"" 天啦！我的主，为什么要让我活着。"汤姆听见了她无奈的呻吟。接着又听见她在祈祷，"上帝，仁慈的上帝！您睁眼看看可怜的我吧！这样还有多久？您要救救我呀！" At the risk of all that he might suffer, Tom came forward again, and put all the cotton in his sack into the woman's. 多么可怜的人呀！汤姆不禁又走上去，来不及考虑其它后果他把自己的棉花强行地全倒进了女人的麻袋里。 "O, you mustn't! you donno what they'll do to ye!" said the woman." 呀！千万不要这样！你不知道他们回去会怎么对付你。"那女人低声地说道。 "I can bar it!" said Tom, "better 'n you;" and he was at his place again. It passed in a moment." 没关系，我能承受得了，"汤姆平静地回答，"你虚弱的身体怎么行呀！"说话间迅速地返回到自己原来的位置上。这一切发生在一刹问。 
前面我们有过大概了解的那位陌生女人，离他们非常近，听到汤姆最后说的两句话时，她突然停住了自己手中的活。抬起头用那双明辨是非的大眼睛仔细地打量了汤姆，好一会，她突然像想到了什么似的，从自己的篮子里抓起了一大把棉花不由分说地塞进汤姆的篮中。 "You know nothing about this place," she said, "or you wouldn't have done that. When you've been here a month, you'll be done helping anybody; you'll find it hard enough to take care of your own skin!"" 你刚来不久，对这里的事情不太了解，"她皱了下眉头接着说，"如果你知道问题的严重性，恐怕你想干也不敢干了。再在这鬼地方呆上一个月你就会明白：这不是一个能帮助别人的地方，自己能照顾好自己就已经很不错了。" "The Lord forbid, Missis!" said Tom, using instinctively to his field companion the respectful form proper to the high bred with whom he had lived." 太太，相信上帝能够替我作主，放了我。"汤姆不自禁地叫了声"太太"，以前他总是这么称呼与他生活在一起的那些血统高贵的女主人。 "The Lord never visits these parts," said the woman, bitterly, as she went nimbly forward with her work; and again the scornful smile curled her lips." 不要祈求上帝，上帝已经遗忘了这个地方！"女人愤愤不平地说道，一边闪身离去，脸上依旧写着不屑和蔑视，到另外一个不远处继续干她的活。 But the action of the woman had been seen by the driver, across the field; and, flourishing his whip, he came up to her. 这一切没有逃过站在棉花地那一端的监工的眼睛，他手里拿着皮鞭靠近了她。 
你想干嘛！找死？"他掩不住心里一阵窃喜继续说道，"想骗我？狗娘养的，你最好给我注意点，否则非给你点颜色看看，别忘了你现在在我手下干活。" A glance like sheet-lightning suddenly flashed from those black eyes; and, facing about, with quivering lip and dilated nostrils, she drew herself up, and fixed a glance, blazing with rage and scorn, on the driver. 听他这么说话，女人突然杏目一瞪闪出锋利的光芒。她挺直了腰板，调过头来，嘴唇微启，鼻翼呼吸急促，用愤怒而又鄙视的眼神狠狠地瞪了他一眼。 "Dog!" she said, "touch _me_, if you dare! I've power enough, yet, to have you torn by the dogs, burnt alive, cut to inches! I've only to say the word!"" 畜牲！"她吼道，"如果你敢碰我一根指头！我会让你不得好死，现在我还有足够的权力，只要我回去说你一句，就可以叫你被猎狗撕成碎片，被火活活烧死或是将你剁成肉酱！不信你试试。" "What de devil you here for, den?" said the man, evidently cowed, and sullenly retreating a step or two. "Didn't mean no harm, Misse Cassy!"" 噢，那你干嘛还要跑这儿来！"凶狠的语气一下子变得平和起来，很显然那监工也被吓倒了，他心有余悸地往后退了一步说道，"卡西太太，刚才我是跟你开玩笑的！" "Keep your distance, then!" said the woman. And, in truth, the man seemed greatly inclined to attend to something at the other end of the field, and started off in quick time." 畜牲！你最好给我滚远点！"那女人喊道，监工似乎想到有什么事需要去做，一溜烟便跑开了。 
风波一下子平息了，那女人继续干她的活。她的手来回穿梭在棉花与篮子之间，动作之飞快，简直令汤姆难以相信，这女人似乎有魔法相助，天还没黑，她的篮子里棉花堆得几乎都装不下了，她又塞了几把棉花给汤姆。太阳西沉下去，天渐渐地变黑了，劳累一天的人们才拖着疲倦的身体，头顶满载棉花的大篮子一个接一个地走进那间贮存棉花的房子等著称量。里面，烈格雷先生和他的那两位监工正在兴高采烈地谈论着什么。 "Dat ar Tom's gwine to make a powerful deal o' trouble; kept a puttin' into Lucy's basket.--One o' these yer dat will get all der niggers to feelin' bused, if Masir don't watch him!" said Sambo." 今天叫汤姆的那个人老给我添乱子，他竟然背着我的面不断地给露西塞棉花，这种事情您如果不给他点惩罚的话，恐怕那小子迟早都会带着众人起哄闹事，起诉我们虐待他们呢！"桑博添油加醋地说道。 "Hey-dey! The black cuss!" said Legree. "He'll have to get a breakin' in, won't he, boys?"" 好哇！这个该揍的汤姆！"烈格雷先生咬牙切齿地骂道，"我看他活得不耐烦了，我应该修理修理他，你们说对吗？" Both negroes grinned a horrid grin, at this intimation. 那两个监工听他这么说，都露出了满意的微笑。 "Ay, ay! Let Mas'r Legree alone, for breakin' in! De debil heself couldn't beat Mas'r at dat!" said Quimbo." 哇--那简直太好不过了！主人亲自治理这个家伙，给他点厉害瞧瞧！这点上，就连妖魔鬼怪都要退避主人三分呢！"昆博神气活现地说道。 
伙计们，我认为最好的办法是让他去治理别人，看他还有没有帮助别人大发慈悲的怪思想。你们说对吗？" "Lord, Mas'r'll have hard work to get dat out o' him!"" 上帝，想要让他忘掉那些，主人将很难办到！" "It'll have to come out of him, though!" said Legree, as he rolled his tobacco in his mouth." 不管面临怎样的困难，我都要想办法让他忘掉！"烈格雷叼着烟愤愤地说道。 "Now, dar's Lucy,--de aggravatinest, ugliest wench on de place!" pursued Sambo." 差点忘了，露西，还有那个可恶的露西！她是一个制造麻烦的祸首，是我们庄园里最丑恶最让人容忍不了的女人！"桑博补充道。 "Take care, Sam; I shall begin to think what's the reason for your spite agin Lucy."" 小心点，桑博。为什么这么痛恨露西，我得好好调查究竟是什么原因导致你这么痛恨她。" 
主人，您难道忘了吗？您吩咐叫她做我的女人，她竟然敢违背您的意思。" "I'd a flogged her into 't," said Legree, spitting, only there's such a press o' work, it don't seem wuth a while to upset her jist now. She's slender; but these yer slender gals will bear half killin' to get their own way!"" 如果我这回狠狠地揍她一顿，她肯定会向我俯首称臣。"烈格雷犹豫了一会儿。"这件事以后再说吧！现在正是需要人干活的繁忙季节。别看她们一个个瘦得风都可以吹倒，可性子却一个比一个倔，宁死不屈，现在整她我想也太不划算了。" "Wal, Lucy was real aggravatin' and lazy, sulkin' round; wouldn't do nothin,--and Tom he tuck up for her."" 噢，露西那个又懒又惹人生气的婆娘，整天什么活也不会干还成天绷着个苦瓜脸。只有汤姆喜欢为她偷偷摸摸做些什么。" "He did, eh! Wal, then, Tom shall have the pleasure of flogging her. It'll be a good practice for him, and he won't put it on to the gal like you devils, neither."" 哦，果真如此吗？就这么决定吧！让汤姆去把她揍一顿。这对他可是收益不少，让他开开眼界，好让他明白教训人的滋味。这家伙一定不会像你们一样，对那个臭娘们心怀不轨。" "Ho, ho! haw! haw! haw!" laughed both the sooty wretches; and the diabolical sounds seemed, in truth, a not unapt expression of the fiendish character which Legree gave them." 哈！哈！哈！嗬！哈哈！"两个坏透了的家伙终于如愿以偿地放声大笑，鬼哭狼嚎般的笑声正是对烈格雷馈赠他们残暴性格淋漓尽致的注解，也是对渴望帮助的善良的人们一种深刻的讽刺。 
噢，主人，还有两个人捣乱，汤姆和卡西太太俩人总是乘我不注意往露西的篮子里塞棉花。我肯定，她篮子里的棉花根本就不是自己摘的。" "_I do the weighing!_" said Legree, emphatically." 我自己来过称！"烈格雷先生不高兴地说道。 Both the drivers again laughed their diabolical laugh. 那两个监工又一次发出了满足的笑声。 "So!" he added, "Misse Cassy did her day's work."" 但是，"烈格雷说，"卡西太太只是在地里干了一天活呀！" "She picks like de debil and all his angels!"" 她摘棉花动作之神速就好像有妖魔相助似的。"
| 
